MILAN — Jack Hughes ripped the overtime winner 1:41 into extra time Sunday, lifting the United States past Canada 2-1 and delivering Team USA its first Olympic men’s hockey gold medal since the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980.
The win ends a 46-year drought for U.S. men’s hockey at the Winter Games, and it didn’t come quietly. It came the hardest way possible: in sudden death, against Canada, after a full game of absorbing pressure and refusing to break.
In a tightly contested championship matchup, the Americans weathered wave after wave from Canada before Hughes buried the winner and set off a celebration on the ice and back home.
Connor Hellebuyck started in goal for the United States and turned aside a barrage of Canadian shots, keeping the Americans within reach until the overtime breakthrough finally cracked the game open.
The gold medal is being seen as a defining moment for this generation of U.S. players, a return to the top of international hockey in a best-on-best tournament featuring NHL talent.
Among the Americans on the roster was Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman, a former University of Maine standout who saw action earlier in the tournament as part of the team’s goaltending rotation. Though he did not start the gold medal game, Swayman contributed to the team’s depth during its run and adds an Olympic gold to his growing résumé.
The victory drew congratulations from across the country, including President Donald Trump, who posted to Truth Social praising Team USA for its historic win and celebrating the return of American men’s hockey to the top of the Olympic podium.
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116115175203378541
For U.S. hockey, it’s the program’s biggest achievement since 1980, a gold medal won in overtime, against Canada, on the sport’s biggest international stage.
